Why The Avengers Seek Help in Wakanda in Infinity War

Avengers: Infinity Wardirectors Anthony and Joe Russo have revealed why the Avengers are fighting in Wakanda in the upcoming film. Marvel Studios has been continuing to grow and dominate the film industry in truly fascinating ways, even in its 10th year. This year could very well become the studio's highest-grossing year to date. Marvel's Black Panther is on a roll at the box office right now, and it's on its way to hitting $1 billion within the next week thanks to its upcoming release in China. And now, Marvel is kicking their marketing campaign for Infinity War - arguably the most anticipated comic book movie ever to release - into high gear.

The third Avengers film is expected to be the largest superhero adventure yet. Virtually all the major characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will unite for an ultimate battle with the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin), who seeks to unify the six Infinity Stones onto the Infinity Gauntlet. Audiences have already been treated to trailers that show off the epic scope of the film, whose locations span from the plains of Africa to outer space. The big scene from the first Avengers: Infinity War trailer featured Captain America, Black Panther, Okoye, Black Widow, Falcon, Winter Soldier aka White Wolf, and the Hulk, charging into battle with the Wakandan army behind them. Some fans have theorized that the reason all those heroes are together in Wakanda is because they are defending the Soul Stone, but that's not entirely the case.

In an interview with EW, Avengers: Infinity War director Anthony Russo shed some light on the sequence as well as larger plot device found in the upcoming movie:

“Vision is a living MacGuffin. Obviously, that raises the stakes because Vision’s life is in danger, and his life is in conflict with Thanos’ goals, so something’s got to give...Cap makes the decision to bring [Vision] here to Wakanda. Earth is making its last stand to keep the stone from Thanos. It’s the best place to make your last stand.”

Since the moment of Vision's birth in Joss Whedon's Avengers: Age of Ultron, MCU fans have anticipated the character's "death" at the hands of Thanos in Avengers 3. After all, the character, who is played by Paul Bettany, was created by the villainous Ultronby combining stolen Wakandan Vibranium and was given sentience by wearing the Mind Stone, which brought him to life, so to speak. It also imbued him with a host of superpowers.

Wakanda has kept its technological metropolis hidden for generations, so Cap being one of the only - if not the first - Avengers allowed onto its soil is noteworthy. It also speaks to the growing trust and friendship between the two and points to the character development that T'Challa experienced at the end of Black Panther, where he vowed to open the country's borders and share their technological advancements with the world. It seems like the timing could not have been any better for the Avengers or the world at large. Moreover, the country has never been conquered by an invading force in MCU history, so it makes sound strategic sense for the war hero to make a stand there.

In Black Panther, both Nakia and T'Challa note in Black Panther that a superhero is not very powerful if they don't have an army behind them. It appears that's one of the themes that will be explored in Avengers: Infinity War, as the heroes of the MCU - many of whom are no longer expressly allied - will need to band together to face their greatest and most deadly threat in Thanos.